Health Literacy in Action: Traumatic Brain Injury Caregiver Guide
- Health Literacy Media
- Oct 13, 2018
- 2 min read
The BaylorScott&White Institute for Rehabilitation in Dallas, Texas is a leader in rehabilitative care for people with traumatic brain injury (TBI). When they came to us with the concept for a caregiver-focused guide about care for people with TBI and their recovery, we thought it was a really cool opportunity. One we definitely wanted to be part of.
Caregivers often report being confused about patient care instructions, not understanding patient education materials, and not feeling prepared to care for the person after they’re discharged from the hospital. Caregivers are an important force in patient recovery, so this health literacy gap is a big deal – one that our partners at Baylor recognized, prioritized, and invited us to help them address.
Our mutual goal was to create a caregiver guide that provided clear education about brain injury and recovery, and practical tips for helping loved ones recover.
We took one look at the 100-page Word document our partners shared and immediately thought:
This is jam-packed with really good, but also really complex, health information. Using all our health literacy tools – including plain language -- will be necessary to ensure this content is easy to understand and use.
Interactivity, visuals, and good design are going to be key in making this guide engaging.
Challenge accepted.
Consistent with our evidence-based process, we considered the purpose and audience while we reviewed, revised, designed, defined, and illustrated the content. With Baylor Rehab’s thorough starting point and our plain language and design expertise and creativity, we took this guide to another level!
The guide’s interactive design allows caregivers to take notes and write down questions while their loved one is still in the hospital and they have immediate access to the staff. After discharge, the guide is a resource that caregivers can use for tracking their loved one’s progress.
We love how this project turned out, and our friends at Baylor Rehab do too:
“This is our second collaboration with HLM. It’s proven to be a natural partnership. We have the clinical experience and HLM provides the skillset to translate the complexity of brain injury treatment into a clear and usable resource...”
We’re inspired by Baylor Rehab’s commitment to health literacy and clear and proud of the work we created together – check a few pages below! Here’s to many more collaborations!
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